Ahmedabad 101: Heritage City
Sometime in July, 2017, Ahmedabad, a city founded in 1411 by Ahmad Shah of the Muzaffarid dynasty, was in media focus. UNESCO’s World heritage committee had conferred the title of Heritage City on Ahmedabad, the first city in India to be conferred with such a title.
What Ahmedabad has managed to preserve over the years is its rich cultural heritage in the form of architectural structures, festive celebrations and variety of taste in the food that this city has to offer. The city, which was built with a historical lineage has been home to some of the best educational institutes in the country. Moreover, it has played host to some of the most renowned people who have made a significant contribution to the world in different spheres of life. Through this post, I seek to share some anecdotes that are solely based on a behind the lens perspective of its architectural marvels.
Ahmedabad as a city is home to people from different cultural backgrounds, caste and sects. This diversity has played an important role in laying the foundation of this city and preserving it for centuries.
There is something unique about the intrinsic designs and architectural aesthetics of this city’s structures. The forts of the city have high influence from islamic architectural revolution that has ranged from Ahmed Shah’s rule to Sultanate Rule to Mughal rule. It is a bliss for artists to play a game of light and shadows, putting these architectural marvels into perspective.
The city of Ahmedabad was enclosed with gates or ‘Darwaza’ as we popularly call them. Like a fort, the city was enclosed from all sides and these darwazas served as a guide to the city’s connectivity with different neighboring states/cities. The number of ‘darwarzas’ in the city have been estimated to range between 12 to 21. Most of them are now in ruins but the ones that have survived the test of time, narrate us tales of an era gone by.
Stepwells were popular in early days as water storage units with different storeys and steps to access each storey that lay under the ground level. There are a total of 16 stepwells in Ahmedabad. This is based on a work of Riyaz Tayyibji whose an Ahmedabad based architect. Rich in architectural aesthetics, most of these stepwells have been restored to become a tourist destination. During monsoons, water gets stored in these stepwells, serving the purpose even after centuries of their creation. Each of these stepwells have a rich history to their origin and design.
Sabarmati is one of the major rivers in India which not only flows through the city of Ahmedabad but also creates a distinction between the old city and the recently developed parts of the city. Sabarmati Riverfront which is estimated to be 22.5 kms. in length is one of the major attractions of the city, simply for the way it has been designed and its impact in glorifying the development of Ahmedabad city’s systematic river course.
If you isolate yourself from the classical history of Ahmedabad, you will see yourself tracing the modern historical roots of this city. Home to Mahatma Gandhi’s Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad has a lot more to offer, specially from the time when Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was just an ordinary man and of the time when he started becoming an important part of the freedom struggle. Not many people know about the Kochrab Ashram where Mahatma Gandhi spent a considerable amount of his life before he launched the non-cooperation movement.
If you dig a little deeper into the beautiful architecture structures of the city, you will definitely visit Tagore Memorial Hall. It is interesting to know that Rabindranath Tagore had a connection with this city. His brother, Satyendranath Tagore was the commissioner of Ahmedabad city, he invited Rabindranath to the city to study english literature, for six months.
One ubiquitous element that is present in this city’s historical structures is ‘tree of life’ . The tree of life has mythological origins and is present in many fort and stepwell structures in the city. However, the most commonly known ‘tree of life’ design is from the jali in Sidi Sayed Mosque. The tree of life lattice from the one present there has inspired IIM Ahmedabad’s logo.
One of the important elements of this city are ‘Pols’ which are omnipresent in old part of the city. These pols are clusters of houses which are interconnected through a deceptive network of doors which have certain mysterious entrances and exits to different parts of the same locality. These pols have been a helpful means for people during communal riots.
Ahmedabad has been ruled by different empires and dynasties, has suffered communal tensions and has even survived the impact of destructive ‘Bhuj earthquake’, yet it has managed to not only preserve the rich culture, absorbed over decades and centuries but also build a modern city with its architecture. In the course of my exploration, I have realized that this city has much more to offer than what it is known for. It is just about trying to delve into its cultural origins and you will see a different side of it entirely.
